MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University police, building supervisors and staff members are going through emergency plans for each of the university’s 105 campus structures.
University Police Chief Bob Roberts said preparedness efforts continue through June.
“We’ve actually built these emergency plans around each facility because each one is unique and different,” the chief explained on WAJR’s Morgantown AM. “The goal is to contain an incident if one should occur to that area so that it doesn’t expand and become a larger disaster.”
All employees have access to online training modules about how to handle specific emergencies on campus ranging from shootings to natural disasters.
“Flash Point provides people with an understanding of what to look for when people are acting out or when violence may erupt. A second training session is called Shots Fired actually prepares you on what to do, what you can expect and how to respond,” Roberts added.
Preparedness depends on planning and training Roberts said.
“We know that if you have those two key elements in place it reduces damages but more importantly it saves lives. So, that’s kind of where our focus comes from.”
Since two shooters opened fire at Columbine High School in 1999, followed by a 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech and more recently the murder-suicide at UCLA, emergency preparedness on school campuses hasn’t been the same.
“I’ve seen it said and I think it’s true that you have to put this into perspective. It’s like being hit by lightening to be involved in one of these mass shootings. But still, you don’t go out and play in a thunderstorm with a metal rod. So, you have to plan,” summarized Roberts.
The month of June is focused on training and planning for everything from violent attacks to natural disasters.